"Racist abuse of NHS nurses has jumped by 86% in the last few years, which their union's boss has blamed on the normalisation of extreme views in politics and the media. One nurse was called a monkey by a colleague, a patient threw a hot drink at a nurse and followed up with racial abuse, and in several cases others were called the N-word, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) disclosed."
"Nurses across the UK reported 6,812 incidents last year in which they suffered racist abuse, NHS figures show, a big rise on the 3,652 incidents recorded in 2022. However, it is unclear how many were reported to the police or led to any action being taken, such as a perpetrator being told to seek treatment from a different care provider."
"The RCN warned that poor recording of such abuse by the health service, and reluctance among many nurses to report it, meant the figures which it obtained from NHS trusts and health boards under freedom of information (FOI) were only the tip of the iceberg. These figures show a catastrophic rise in the racist abuse faced by nursing staff, said Prof Nicola Ranger, the RCN's general secretary and chief executive."
"While racism had always existed, those who hold these views have become more emboldened in recent times, she said. It reflects a further breakdown in societal norms, in part fed by more extreme views being normalised in the mainstream and across media. The findings are the latest evidence of what Kate Jarman, the director of corporate affairs at Milton Keynes university hospital trust, last week called a rising tide of racism washing over the NHS making it unsafe for some staff."
Racist abuse of NHS nurses increased by 86% over recent years, with 6,812 incidents reported last year compared with 3,652 in 2022. Reported incidents included being called racial slurs, such as being called a monkey or the N-word, and patients or families expressing exclusionary racist demands. Some incidents involved physical aggression, including a patient throwing a hot drink and then issuing racial abuse. The number of incidents reported to police or resulting in action was unclear. The Royal College of Nursing warned that poor recording and reluctance to report mean the figures likely represent only a fraction of the total. The rise was linked to broader societal breakdown and normalization of extreme views in politics and media.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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